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Thursday, June 25, 2009

Longhorns force deciding game
OMAHA, Neb. - Freshman Taylor Jungmann limited LSU to five hits in his first complete game, and Russell Moldenhauer hit his record-tying fourth home run of the College World Series as Texas evened the best-of-three finals, 5-1 over LSU on Tuesday night.

No Dogs, but local flavor in Omaha
Although the Georgia baseball team was unable to return to the College World Series this spring, Athens was still well represented in Omaha, Neb., by a company whose products got plenty of airtime during the summer classic.

Suspect nabbed after four attempted robberies
Police nabbed a man Wednesday who they suspect was in the middle of his fourth robbery in little more than a day, after hitting stores in Clarke and Jackson counties as well as a Baxter Street pizzeria Tuesday night.

Michael Jackson dead at 50
LOS ANGELES - Michael Jackson, the sensationally gifted child star who rose to become the “King of Pop” and the biggest celebrity in the world only to fall from his throne in a freakish series of scandals, died Thursday. He was 50.

ATF: Cause of Georgia Theatre fire 'undetermined'
The fire that gutted the Georgia Theatre Friday morning apparently began in a dressing room and closet, but investigators were unable to determine what sparked the blaze. Investigators did not find evidence of arson, and have classified the cause of the fire as “undetermined,” according to a news release issued late this afternoon by the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

Patrol identifies victim in fatal ATV crash
The Athens man who died when the all-terrain vehicle he was driving hit a pickup truck Tuesday afternoon near Bogart was Taitan Sanichy, 44, a radio operator with the Georgia State Patrol said this morning.

'Charlie's Angel' Farrah Fawcett dies at 62
LOS ANGELES - Farrah Fawcett, the “Charlie’s Angels” star whose feathered blond hair and dazzling smile made her one of the biggest sex symbols of the 1970s, died Thursday after battling cancer. She was 62.

ATV wreck claims man in Bogart
A man driving an all-terrain vehicle was killed Tuesday afternoon when a pickup truck crashed into him on Monroe Highway in Oconee County, according to the Athens Post of the Georgia State Patrol.

Burglars snatch TVs from 2 Athens homes
A burglar kicked in the back door of a home in the 1000 block of Martin Luther King Jr. Parkway between 6:30 and 8 p.m. Monday and stole a television valued at $1,000, Athens-Clarke police said.

Stash of cash goes missing
A woman who lives in the 100 block of Hanover Place at Tallassee Club Villa apartments thinks a neighbor may have stolen $1,000 from her bedroom, Athens-Clarke police said.

Burglars slip in through open door
Thieves entered an unlocked door of a home in the 400 block of Catalpa Court between 6 and 8 p.m. Tuesday and stole an Xbox, game controllers, water canisters and a shotgun with a total value of $1,425, Athens-Clarke police said.

Jewelry missing after family gathering
A woman held a family get-together at her home in the 100 block of Berlin Street that began at 6:30 p.m. Sunday, and after it ended at 9 p.m. was unable to find jewelry valued at $1,920, Athens-Clarke police said. The woman reported to police Monday she suspects someone stole her engagement ring, a watch and tennis bracelet.

Worker hurt at UGA site
A worker at a construction site on the University of Georgia campus was taken to an Athens hospital for evaluation after a fall of about 5 to 6 feet from a ladder Monday, according to UGA officials. The man apparently suffered a seizure either before or after the fall, said UGA Police Chief Jimmy Williamson. The man's injuries following the fall did not appear to be life-threatening, he said.

Machen predicts decision on Jax
Georgia's annual football game against Florida is under contract with the city of Jacksonville through 2010 and the presidents of both universities are sending signals this week that they are inclined to keep the game there.

Chris K. Withers: Rebate for UGA sports donors
From the reports I have read, the contract the University of Georgia Athletic Association has signed with International Sports Properties is worth about $90 million over the life of the agreement. This is quite an accomplishment for UGA Athletics Director Damon Evans.

James M. Gaudin: Public insurance option needed
The commentary by Newt Gingrich and David Merritt in Friday's Banner-Herald trumpets the merits of continuing the current private enterprise model of health care, in spite of its obvious failures (Forum, "Public option no solution to health care"). They worry about an alternative government health insurance program unfairly competing with private insurers, and the dangers of a public insurance program "controlling costs by restricting access and choice."

Mike Rock: Streaking for stimulus check
The streaking incident published in the Athens-Banner Herald (Blotter, "Two arrested at frat in streaking case," Saturday) brought back memories. However, I think we may have missed the point.

Cathi Watkins: Credit assistance appreciated
We want to thank the Southeast Regional Credit Union Management School volunteers for "ditchin' ropes to help folks." Credit union professionals come to Athens every June for courses offered at the Georgia Center for Continuing Education, with instructors from the University of Georgia's Terry College of Business.

Bob Bowen: Youth influenced by bad ads
How long will the automobile industry be allowed to use images of reckless driving to promote the sale of its cars on television? The practice encourages young drivers to express their daring by trying the same practices. In addition, the ads feature high-profile stars such as golfer Annika Sorenstam, among others, as drivers racing or "burning rubber."

Ross Brown: Iranian women need freedom
Real men are not afraid of women. Real men are not afraid to have women as equal partners. I hope and pray the upheaval in Iran will give Iranian women the chance to throw off the burka and step out from under the misogynistic oppression of the mullahs.

Gholston recalls family in '30s
In May 1998, David Brown of Madison County wrote a college history paper on the Great Depression in which he interviewed his grandmother, Annie Sue Belin Seymour, and Comer resident Polk Gholston. Brown made an A on the paper, a copy of which was found in Gholston's home. Here is a comment from Gholston in the report about the Depression:

Madison man in AARP magazine
Howard Sims, a retiree who built his own observatory and telescope for viewing the stars, is featured in this month's issue of AARP magazine. The story is headlined "Star Gazer: How a self-taught astronomer built his own home observatory."

Old newspaper recounts a tragedy
Colbert Mayor John Waggoner holds a copy of a 1932 Athens Banner-Herald housed in the Colbert Museum, which will be open during the city’s July Fourth Celebration.

Charles Allen's produce stand now part of Colbert history
Shorty Arrendale picks up a nail-spiked piece of plywood June 17 to throw into a trash bin as he, his son Jason and his wife, Brenda, work on taking apart an old produce stand that stood for 14 years at the intersection of Georgia Highway 72 and Hardman Morris Road in Colbert.

GPB radio show on location at this year's AthFest
In the early days of AthFest - back when the main stage was located at the eastern end of Washington Street in the vicinity of the Classic Center - Susan Staley's "Georgia Mountain Stage" concerts provided the perfect closing notes for the three-day music-and-arts festival.

Supercluster making 'Waves'
When you get a note from his longtime Pylon bandmate Vanessa Briscoe Hay, you can't help but think about the recent loss of Randy Bewley. It's a sadness that will hang over the Athens music scene for years to come.

Lewis: The ACTION 5! AthFest Special
AthFest once again is upon us! I will be spending all of Saturday night at Ciné hosting and playing the Kindercore Records showcase (which I highly recommend, even if it's just to watch me pass out after playing in three bands in one night!) but there are plenty of other great haps all over downtown:

Grammy winner opens RockDocs
He's the only performer at AthFest this year to have an official Grammy under his belt - as far as we know - but Art Rosenbaum is about as unassuming as he can be. He credits the award, after all, to the musicians included on his "Art of Field Recording Vol. 1: Fifty Years of Traditional American Music Documented by Art Rosenbaum," which this year earned the Grammy for Best Historical Album.

Seven shows you can't miss
Each year, news reporter Blake Aued finds a bevy of bands worth checking out at AthFest. So here's where you're likely to have a Blake spotting this weekend, as these are his picks for the 'Fest.

Iron AthChef: A tasty new offering to promote local businesses
It's both a tongue twister and a taste pleaser: AthChef, a new culinary arts competition added to AthFest, will take place between Craig Page of PLACE (Promoting Local Agriculture and Cultural Experiences) and the Athens Farmers Market and Eric Wagoner of Athens Locally Grown. The men will compete in an "Iron Chef"-type of cook-off 5 p.m. Sunday, after the secret ingredient is revealed. The culinary arts competition is designed to promote local businesses with the emphasis on food and will take place in the festival area on Washington Street.

Athfest: Bring the kids, too
AthFest isn't just for the cool kids, the hipsters and music junkies to get their fill of tunes for the weekend. Even little kids are totally in on the action. They've got their own stage and everything, with performers lined up from noon to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

Take a ride through Athens' music history
Although a significant portion of the musical heritage of the Classic City took a major blow last week with the fire at the Georgia Theatre, the Athens Music History Driving Tour is set to roll again this week as part of the AthFest celebration.

About the bands
Please note that shows scheduled after midnight are noted on the day that the lineup starts. For example, while 1 a.m. on Saturday is technically 1 a.m. Sunday, it would be listed as Saturday since it is part of the Saturday night showcase.

S.C. governor admits affair
COLUMBIA, S.C. - After going AWOL for seven days, Gov. Mark Sanford admitted Wednesday that he had secretly flown to Argentina to visit a woman with whom he was having an affair. Wiping away tears, he apologized to his family and gave up a national Republican Party post, but was silent on whether he would resign.

Protesters tone it down
CAIRO - Overwhelmed by police and left with limited alternatives, Iranian demonstrators resorted Tuesday to more subtle ways of challenging the outcome of the presidential election: holding up posters, shouting from rooftops and turning on car headlights.

Iran forces beat back protest
A flood of security forces using tear gas and clubs quickly overwhelmed a small group of rock-throwing protesters near Iran's parliament Wednesday, and the country's supreme leader said the outcome of the disputed presidential election will stand - the latest signs of the government's growing confidence in quelling unrest on the streets.

Obama toughens stand on Iranian crackdown
WASHINGTON - Dramatically hardening the U.S. reaction to Iran's disputed elections and bloody aftermath, President Obama condemned the violence against protesters Tuesday and lent his strongest support yet to their accusations the hardline victory was a fraud.

U.S. yanks invite to Fourth festivities
WASHINGTON - An offer for Iranian envoys to attend U.S. embassy Fourth of July parties has been rescinded as the violent crackdown in Tehran continues, the White House said Wednesday.

Factory orders up for two straight months
WASHINGTON - Orders to U.S. factories for manufactured goods from computers to aircraft surged in May for a second straight month. And a gauge of business investment rose last month by the most in nearly five years. Together, the data Wednesday signal that the recession could be at or near a bottom.

Fed signals inflation no big concern
WASHINGTON - The Federal Reserve signaled Wednesday that the weak economy likely will keep prices in check despite growing concerns that the trillions it's pumping into the financial system will ignite inflation.

Bomb rips Baghdad market, killing 69
BAGHDAD - A bomb ripped through a crowded market in Baghdad's main Shiite district on Wednesday, killing at least 69 people and wounding more than 100 less than a week before a deadline for U.S. combat troops to leave Iraq's urban areas.

Strike kills 80, but not Taliban figure
ISLAMABAD - The head of Pakistan's Taliban had joined a funeral procession targeted in a suspected U.S. missile strike, but left before the attack that killed 80 people mourning those struck down by an earlier barrage on a militant training camp, intelligence officials said Wednesday.

Probe over at the fire scene
Investigators have finished sifting through the charred remains of the Georgia Theatre, but are not saying where or how they believe the fire that gutted the popular music venue began Friday morning.

Cause of blaze still unknown
After a full day of searching Tuesday, fire investigators hadn't found the cause of last week's fire that gutted the landmark Georgia Theatre, although they found some spots where the blaze may have started.

Funding an issue in expanding other two Boys & Girls clubs
Brenda Diaz and Carmen Flores have to walk sideways to avoid running into each other and fellow club members inside the cramped Garnett Ridge Boys & Girls Club off Elkview Drive. “The space is getting a little too small,” said Brenda, a fifth-grader at Whitehead Road Elementary School. “Every year, the number of kids that come is more and more.”

Show of support drawing big crowd
If the tens of thousands of people who consider themselves part of the Georgia Theatre's extended family have their way, the venerable club will be rebuilt from the ruins left behind after a devastating fire Friday.

Shelter quits taking feral cats
The Athens Area Humane Society will become a no-kill shelter and no longer will accept feral cats beginning Wednesday, leaving trappers with nowhere to take them.

Robbery suspect arrested after spree
Police nabbed a man Wednesday who they suspect was in the middle of his fourth robbery in little more than a day, after hitting stores in Clarke and Jackson counties as well as a Baxter Street pizzeria Tuesday night.

Barrow cost cuts official
WINDER - Barrow County commissioners formally approved a cost-savings plan Tuesday that abolishes 23 positions, eliminates six county departments, eliminates all the county's assistant director positions and adjusts the salaries of several employees.

No big Oconee budget surprises
The Oconee County Commission voted unanimously to approve a $34.5 million 2010 budget Tuesday, cutting some spending and charging higher fees for water and recreational programs.

Preservationist dies suddenly at age 59
JEFFERSON - On the surface Buz Ward seemed like a laid-back guy, but anyone who spoke to him for more than a few seconds learned that he knew how to get things done.

Lumpkin to close tonight in Five Points
Workers plan to close both lanes of South Lumpkin Street in Five Points tonight for the ongoing storm drain work that already blocked the street's northbound lane.

Colbert explosion victim critical but stable
The lone survivor of a fire and explosion that killed a Colbert sister and brother remains in critical but stable condition at Atlanta's Grady Memorial Hospital, according to representatives there.

Ex-congressman charged in alleged pay-for-play scheme
ATLANTA - A former Georgia congressman and two of his business associates were charged this week with conspiracy and telling lies in an illegal campaign contribution scheme linked to a 2005 Atlanta City Council election.

Study: Income keeps many from legal help
ATLANTA - Most of Georgia's low- and moderate-income residents face a pressing civil legal problem each year, and most of them try to resolve it themselves without a lawyer's help, the state's bar association said in a study unveiled Wednesday.

McMahon, pilot during WWII, trained at UGA
Ed McMahon was famous worldwide as Johnny Carson's sidekick on "The Tonight Show" and later as host of "Star Search," an early 1980s version of today's "American Idol."

There comes a time when everything must go
The Rotary Club of Oconee County recently inducted new members Chris Butts, left, of the Georgia Green Industry Association, and the Rev. Mari Turner of Friendship Presbyterian Church.

New members inducted into local Rotary Club
The Rotary Club of Oconee County recently inducted new members Chris Butts, left, of the Georgia Green Industry Association, and the Rev. Mari Turner of Friendship Presbyterian Church.

Editorial: DOT on way to becoming problem - again
Well, that didn't take long, did it? Just a couple of months ago, both houses of the Georgia General Assembly gave their approval to legislation aimed at improving the management of transportation projects in the state.

Blackmon: Making rules, solving problems aren't same
As part of the usual first-day process on a new job, I read the organization's personnel policies. I was surprised to see "sleeping on the job" in the list of things such as insubordination and excessive absences among the behaviors that could result in termination of employment.

150-year-old home with daylight apartment!
Located on the edge of downtown and only three blocks from The University of Georgia, this 150-year-old home on Finley Street is the perfect fit for buyers seeking an authentic Athens experience.

Big, colorful flowers aren't that hard to grow
If you're a first time homeowner, listen up. If you think you can't grow fabulous flowers, read on. If past failures have made you throw your hands up and retreat from gardening in general, get ready to rumble. There's a secret to great big bold flowers.

855 Parkview Drive
Buyers looking for an authentic Victorian home with artisan appeal will love this Queen Anne-style estate privately located on 5.5 scenic acres.

1100 Rowan Oak Circle
For exceptional value in luxury living, look no further than this five-bedroom beauty located in the exclusive Rowan Oak swim/tennis community.

No-maintenance living in Oconee County
Oconee County's serene Triple Creek neighborhood features the best in beautifully finished patio homes. Beautiful brick and hardiplank exteriors partnered with full landscaping services make Triple Creek the low-maintenance living option that you've been looking for.

Hannah Heights
In the heart of the fastest growing area of Madison County is the area's newest subdivision, Hannah Heights. Drive out and take a look at these new "Everything Included" Craftsman-style homes.

Hardwood floors throughout!
Buyers looking for exceptional value on a spacious brick home with hardwood floors throughout will love this four-bedroom home located in the Olde Lexington Gardens neighborhood of eastside Athens.

Matt Thomas & Atlas Sponsor Holiday Food/Toy Drive
Matt Thomas, principal and licensed Realtor with Atlas Real Estate Advisors, is hosting a food/toy drive and pics with Santa at his holiday open house on Sunday December 14th from noon until 5pm at MadiSun Park Subdivision in Danielsville, GA.

Athens Area Association of REALTORS® Sponsors Toy Drive
The Athens Area Association of REALTORS® (AAAR) is holding a Toy Drive through December 16, 2008 to benefit Toys For Tots. The Athens Area Association of REALTORS® has supported the Toys for Tots Program for many years.

Who Are the Seniors Real Estate Specialists®?
Elizabeth Thurmond has successfully completed the education program and has received the Seniors Real Estate Specialists® designation. SRES® are REALTORS® qualified to address the needs of home buyers and sellers age 50+.

Local Real Estate Firms Announce Merger Plans
Athens, GA - Local real estate firms ERA Classic City Realty and ERA United Realty of Atlanta have announced plans to merge operations, effective January 21, 2009. The combined firm will conduct business as ERA United Realty with offices located in Athens, Roswell, Marietta, Tucker, Conyers and Newnan.

Yanks end offensive downturn
ATLANTA - The New York Yankees took their time scoring against the Braves. Then they got an unlikely home run - and a long-awaited offensive boost from Alex Rodriguez.

Hanson, McCann bolster Braves
ATLANTA - As Atlanta rookie Tommy Hanson kept pitching out of jams, his confidence kept growing against the New York Yankees.

Smoltz's Boston debut set for tonight
WASHINGTON - After reflecting on the three weeks of sleepless nights that followed his shoulder surgery, John Smoltz sounded as if he might be tossing and turning one more time - this time out of sheer anxiousness over his first major league start for a team other than the Atlanta Braves.

Sharapova out early at Wimbledon
WIMBLEDON, England - Give Maria Sharapova credit for honesty. Before Wimbledon began, she acknowledged that a recent comeback from shoulder surgery made it too much to ask for her to contend seriously for a second title at the All England Club.

NBA teams making moves prior to draft
MILWAUKEE - A Bucks official with knowledge of the deal says Milwaukee plans to trade scoring forward Richard Jefferson to the San Antonio Spurs for Bruce Bowen, Kurt Thomas and Fabricio Oberto.

U.S. men's soccer upsets top-ranked Spain
BLOEMFONTEIN, South Africa - The United States stunned top-ranked Spain 2-0 Thursday night on goals by Jozy Altidore and Clint Dempsey, advancing to the Confederations Cup final with one of the Americans' biggest soccer victories.